The two most important concertos for two pianos and orchestra in the entire repertoire. Performed by the famous Duo del Valle, winners of the ARD Prize in Munich. DUO DEL VALLE: Since they won Top Prize and Special Audience Prize in the 54th ARD International Music Competition (Munich, 2005), Victor and Luis del Valle (Velez-Malaga, Spain) have soon been acclaimed as one of Europe's most distinguished chamber music ensembles. They have also been awarded the Silver Medal in the "Primer Palau programme" (Palau de la Musica de Cataluna. Barcelona, 2005). They have been Winners in the "Musiques d"Ensemble 2008" Competition (Paris), "Special Audience Prize" in the XI Dranoff International Two Piano Competition (Miami) and Winners and Special Prize to the best Mozart performance in the IV International Piano Duo Competition of Bialystok (Poland, 2008). In April 2011, they have been awarded the Audience Prize in the XXI Central European Music Festival (Zilina, Slovakia), where most of the winners of outstanding music competitions took part (Queen Elisabeth Competiton, Tchaikovsky Competition, ARD...).

Jean-Baptiste Dupont performs transcriptions of works by Johann Sebastian Bach on the organ of Saint-Sernin. The layering of composition, transcription, instrument, and interpretation emphasizes the polyphonic depth and dynamic colouring of the pieces. Timeless masterpieces merge with the expressive potential of the Cavaille-Coll organ, itself a masterpiece of the 19th century.

Gilles Binchois (ca 1400-1460), was one of the most eminent composers of the early Renaissance. Highly esteemed by his fellows, Binchois left a lasting legacy, notably through his polyphonic chansons and sacred works, although these remain unfamiliar to the general public. This selection of works by Binchois, born in Hainault, shows the evolution of his musical language from the beginnings of the burgundian style to the later instrumental transcriptions of some of his works, as these bear witness to the timeless beauty of his melodies and harmonic structures.

At the heart of this project lies "I Loves You, Porgy," a timeless composition from George Gershwin's 1935 folk opera Porgy and Bess. The melody, built on just five simple notes, is unforgettable-a testament to Gershwin's genius. Inspired by it's charm, we decided to center our album around this piece. While "I Loves You, Porgy" has been a staple for countless jazz musicians, our approach was not merely to improvise on it. Instead, we aimed to create "variants"-transformative interpretations that grew from this iconic piece. It's a unique exploration inspired by Geroge Gershwin.

Niels Rosing-Schow (b. 1954) crafts chamber music of sensual, organic allure, rich with contrast and sonic elegance. This album unveils four works - from the vibrant 'Dance and Signs in the Air' to the soulful 'Respiro ergo sum' - crowned by his exquisite take on Debussy's 'Six epigraphes antiques'. Through kinetic archetypes and seamless musical arcs, Rosing-Schow shapes an immediate, evocative voice, timeless yet fresh, speaking vividly on music's own terms.

Antonio Salieri was influential as an opera composer and later in life as a teacher to the likes of Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt - quite unlike the sinister and entirely fictional portrayal he received in the film Amadeus. Both of his keyboard concertos were composed during his early years in Vienna and reflect influences from Haydn and the galant style of Johann Christian Bach. The Harpsichord Concerto in B flat major is broader and more elaborate but lighter in mood when compared with the stormy first movement of the Harpsichord Concerto in C major. Heard here in it's world premiere recording, the Keyboard Sonata in C major presents as a suite of short independent pieces, while the short March in D major has only recently been discovered in a Berlin archive.

The young, Italy-based Quartetto Werther, regarded as one of the most promising rising chamber ensembles in the Italian and international concert scene, presents two masterpieces from the piano quartet repertoire: a lesser known work by the 16-year-old Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Johannes Brahms' Piano Quartet No. 3, a composition he grappled with for nearly twenty years. This GENUIN release pays homage to three towering figures of Romanticism: Mendelssohn, Brahms, and the literary giant Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, without whom these works might never have come into existence. Firmly grounded in Goethe's poetic legacy and performed with extraordinary musical and technical refinement, this album brings both fresh revelations and long-overdue rediscoveries to light!

Gripping, highly emotional interpretations of the symphonies of one of the most famous and important composers of the 20th century.

Carpathian Tales is a project of the artist's heart that has been formed over two years. It represents a musical dedication to her second home Romania - full of personal stories and compositions that capture the spirit of the country and paint a multi-faceted picture of the Carpathians. Each piece is accompanied by it's own story. All works combine the unmistakable energy of folk themes, pure emotionality and show a varied spectrum from melancholy to dancing virtuosity. These are special arrangements and first recordings that come together on this album. For this album, Lelie Cristea also went in search of works that would be equal in beauty and character to the pieces by Enescu and Porumbescu. She herself was surprised by the musical treasures she found and her expectations were far exceeded. All the works are united by their expressive character, which is characterised by folk themes and a wide spectrum of colours. Sensual ballads give way to virtuoso character pieces that joyfully invite you to dance. What always attracts one almost magically is the emotional depth of the compositions. It is up to the performer and, of course, the listener to allow this completely and to immerse themselves in the respective work. Then the pulse of the works begins to connect with your own, and the journey begins. With Carpathian Tales and further planned concept albums, Lelie Cristea fulfils her wish to record and capture special works from classical, film and salon music in exclusive arrangements.

Last instalment in Narratio Quartet revolutionary version of Beethoven's String Quartets. This last 4CD box contains all the likewise revolutionary late Quartets, from opus 95 until opur 135, never premiered until after Beethoven's death. Once more Narratio Quartet conveys a completely unheard account of these masterpieces, an interpretation different from all the others. On volume 2 (Middle Quartets, CC 72981). Fanfare (USA): "This is a truly special release that fully lives up to the promise of the Narratio Quartet's op. 18. It is a necessary purchase for all Beethovenians. " In the�shortlist of the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik DE). On volume 1�(Early Quartets, CC 72969). Recomendaro de Ritmo (SP). BBC Music Magazine (UK): "There is much to enjoy in the quartet's poised and stylish playing".

The recording breathes the playful spirit of Mozart's time - Goebel's expertise in the repertoire of this period combined with the technical refinement of the ensemble guarantee a musical finest hour. "By means of lucid sound design, coherent phrasing and a style-conscious use of ornamentation, Goebel succeeds in giving the altogether rather lightweight works back their dignity, so to speak." concerti

Jeffrey Chappell performs three great pianos sonatas from the 20th Century, by Alberto Ginastera, Charles T. Griffes, and Samuel Barber

GEORG GULYaS PLAYS JOSe /TURINA / DE FALLA

Anton Schwartz (tenor sax) Peter Bernstein (guitar) Taylor Eigsti (piano) John Shifflett (acoustic bass) Tim Bulkley (drums) Produced by Bud Spangler and Anton Schwartz. Recording and Mixing Engineer: Dan Feiszli. Mastering engineer: Paul Stubblebine. 'Radiant Blue' had a long run on the US jazz radio charts, peaking at number four and earning a JazzWeek cover story. 'Much like Chris Potter, Anton Schwartz is a nice and unassuming guy to talk to, yet both turn into modern day tenor titans as soon as they put the mouthpiece between their lips... There's a lot to like here with sharp arrangements and crisp straight ahead playing that seems to hit all the right notes.' - Tad Hendrickson, JazzWeek Magazine '... this is a first-class audiophile product.' - John Henry, Audiophile Audition 'Anton Schwartz and his sidemen are deadly serious about their fun... they are all adept at staying in the pocket while stretching it. As for Schwartz, he has a classic clear-throated tenor sound and kicks like a mule. His zeal to communicate is fervent yet sophisticated... Radiant Blue could make an excellent introduction to jazz for someone on the outside looking for a way in.' - Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times Magazine 'This is grade 'A' 'all-killer-no-filler'... The five musicians are virtuosos, endowed with temperance, eschewing gratuity for the greater good of the music... Schwartz' compositions are engaging and sophisticated... these are truly unique musicians of the highest order.' - Jan-Mikael Erakare, Abstract Logix 'Schwartz blows with a warm, fluid tone, and great economy... his decisions all sound right... This ensemble shines.... The music bins are full of bluesy jazz albums; this one brims with optimism and intelligence.' - Ed Kopp, JAZZIZ Magazine The liner notes from the CD: THE BLUES IS A FEELING THE BLUES IS A FORM The blues is a feeling. The blues is a form. Two statements about music. You've likely heard the first one at some point, but perhaps not the second. So I'd like to explain a bit. Music is nothing without feeling, and nowhere is this more true than in blues music. Blues greats such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and B.B. King have been masters at conveying emotion, and they passed down as their legacy an emotional vocabulary of musical riffs, stylings, phrases and techniques that form the vernacular of blues music. But no less a part of their legacy is a contribution of a different nature: the blues *form*. In poetry, a sonnet is distinguished by it's form - a particular fourteen-line structure. So, too, much of blues music conforms to a particular structure - a distinct sequence of chords twelve measures in length. That structure has come to permeate popular music far beyond the genre of blues. 'Rock Around the Clock' is, structurally, a perfect blues. So is the theme from *Batman*. And Charlie Parker's 'Now's The Time.' But none of these would be called blues music. So when jazz musicians say, 'let's play a blues,' what they are proposing is not a song with a certain feeling, but a song with a certain structure. Radiant Blue is a collection of ten blueses - which is to say, ten songs based on the blues form. To be sure, there are stylistic elements of the blues in many of the songs (check out 'Sneaking Suspicion' and 'Blues for Now'). But most of the music is not particularly bluesy. The grooves run a wide gamut, from fast straight ahead jazz to New Orleans to Afro-Samba to feel-good South African to angular funk. _Radiant Blue_ is a CD of blueses, but it is not a blues CD any more than The Who's rock opera, *Tommy*, is an opera CD. If you're familiar with music theory, you'll know that I've taken many liberties with the blues form throughout the CD. But my hope is that, regardless of your musical knowledge, with a few listenings of the CD you will be able to 'squint your ears' and make out the shape of a blues, in the same way you might recognize an old friend at a distance by just their silhouette and their walk. For jazz musicians, the blues form is such a friend. - Anton Schwartz, June, 2006, Oakland.

Flash Mob